PROPOSAL FOR Advancing of TRADE, and supporting the POOR.  
THE Dearth of Victual at Home and Abroad, and the Scarcity of Money at Home, will cause the Cess. customs, Excise, and other Funds( necessary for supporting the Government and Army) undoubtedly fail, and occasion a Famine and great Death among the People.  

For preventing of this, The following Overtures may be considered.  
THE Burrows to make Bank-notes, to the Value of Three hundred Thousand Pound Starling, from one Shilling Starling to one hundred Pound Starling: These to be divided amongst the Royal Burrows, according to their Taxt-roll of Ninety Pound already made. And amongst the Unfree Burghs, who shall take the Benefit of the Communication of Trade, according to their Taxt-roll of Ten Pound to be made.  
Every Town to give sufficient Security to the managers of the Burrow-Bank, for their Proportion of the Bank-Money, and to take Security from the Respective Inhabitants, comform to their Sent-rolls.  
Every Town to receive four fifth parts in Bank-Money, and one fifth part in a joint Stock of Trade.  
Each of the saids Burghs, to pay in yearly in Bank-Notes to the Managers of the Bank, the tenth part of their Share, and the saids managers to be careful to destroy the same, so that at the end of the ten Years, the Bank-notes are all destroyed, and the Burghs Disburdened.  
All the Burgesses and other Inhabitants of the saids Burghs( who bear burden with the Town) shall be obliged to take the saids Bank-notes, in payment of their Merchant Goods, Ha●dy-Crafts-Mens Work, Annualrents, &c: and that as readily as Species of Gold and Slver, without changing the price in the least, in case of payment in Bank-Money, more than in other Money: And if any Burgess, Freeman, or Inhabitant, as said is, of any of the saids Burghs, shall contravene either in the Burgh where he lives, or any other Burgh where the Contravention is committed, the magistrates shall fine the Contraveener in double the sum, the one half to the Dilator, and the other half to the Magistrat. And in case the Contravention be without the Jurisdiction of a Burgh, the Dilation is to be made to the managers; And the one half of the fine to belong to the Dilator, as said is, and the other half to the managers: And in both Cases, the Contraveener to be Imprisoned till the fine be payed.  
For Encouraging and carrying on of Trade, and preventing tedious Law suits anent the Bank-Money, and I rade to be carried on by the same, the Magistrate of the Burgh is to determine all Controversies, with all convenient Diligence: And if any of the Parties shall not acquiesce in the Sentence of the Magistrat, then the Party not acquiescing, may city the other Party to Answer before the managers within fifteen Dayes; And the managers are to decern with all Diligence. And in case the Defender be Assoilʒied, the Pursuer to be decerned not only in the Damnages done to the Defender, but in a fine to the managers, to be Modified by the managers themselves.  
The setting up and carrying on a Trade in SCOTLAND( which would be found as fit for Trade as any Nation, considering their Lands and Seas that are to be Improven, the multitude of People innured to hard Labour, and a mean way of Living, Active and Industrious in Bussiness) a Stock for the same, Directions for improving the Stock, and managers for executing the Directions are necessary.  
It will be fit that the Burrows name five Persons of the greatest Skill and Application, to manage the Trust.  
They are to Trade with the fifth part of the foresaid sum, Viz: Sixty Thousand pound Starling, at Home and Abroad, to the best Advantage, and to give an account to the General Convention in July yearly of their traffic, with the said sum, and the Success thereof.  
They are to receive Overtures from all the Burghs who shall offer the same, and to Record the saids Overtu●es in their Books, with their Opinions concerning the same; And to expose the same to the consideration of the General Convention in July.  
They are to keep Correspondence Abroad, not only for the general joint Stock managed by them, but likeways for carrying on Trade in the several Burghs of the KINGDOM, and to give seasonable Advertisements to the saids Burghs.  
They are to make choice of fit and necessary Servants for serving in the Bank, Trade, and Correspondence, and to give them suitable Allowance, and to be careful to make good Choice, and a competent Reward.  
They are to have allowed them, all their expenses debursed in carrying on the Trade, with the Servants Wages, and a Pension of Two hundred pound Starling to each of them for their yearly salary, and a Pension of Two hundred pound Starling yearly to the Assessor of the Royal Burrows, who is to have a joint Vote with them in their management, and in Actions that shall be brought before them: And the salaries, Wages, and expenses, are to be payed out of the neat Profit of the General joint Stock allenerly.  
The first years payment of the tenth part, Viz: Thirty Thousand pound Starling, to be made in July 1700. and thereafter yearly, till the expiring of ten years.  
For the greater Benefit of all the lieges, the managers are to receive in to the Bank, such sums of Money as shall be offered to them, and to grant Obligement for the same, payable in the same Species in which they received the same, a● any Term of Whitsunday or Martinmass, after a Moneths premonition and to pay sieve per cent of Annualtent: The which Obligations are to be binding upon the saids Burrows, Conjunctly and Severally.  
They are likeways to receive such Money as shall be given them in a joint Stock of Trade, and the Adventurer is to have his Share of Profit and Loss, as the samen is counted for yearly in July at the General Convention.  
The Burrows are to address the Lords of his Majesties Privy Council, to procure a Proclamation, making the saids Bank Notes as current every way as Species of Gold and Silver, except in payment of principal sums resting upon Woodset Heritable Bond, or movable Bond granted heretofore, or to be granted hereafter, for which sums the Creditor is not obliged to take Bankmoney, albeit he use Diligence for his Money, but may compel the debtor to pay the principal sums due as ●aid is, in Species of Gold and Silver( if the debtor had so received the samen) but the debtor may pay the Annualrent in Bankmoney if he pleases.  
None of the revenges can be prejudged, seeing all the saids Burrows are bound conjunctly and severally, for the sum contained in each of the Bank Notes, and are obliged to take them in payment as is above mentioned.  
And if the Privy Council desire it. The Burrows are to keep Stocks in species of Gold and Silver, in several Convenient Corners of the Kingdom, and to pay out the samen to any of the lieges who gives in Bank Notes to them. These Convenient places to be appointed with consent of the Kings Council, with whose Consent also the Burrows are to condescend on the time, when the Species of Gold and Silver shall begin to be payed out in the saids Corners.  
The Burghs of barony and Regality will have many Advantages by the Proposal: 1 mo. The Bankmoney which they get out, the Annualrent thereof will be about a third part greater than their yearly Cess; For each Twelve pennies in the Tax Roll, gets One hundred and fifty Pound Sterling, out of which sum of One hundred and fifty Pound slerling, about forty two Pound being deduced for the by gone Cess and Missive deuce resting since Lamhmass 1692, there will remain about One hundred and eight Pound sterling, the Annualrent whereof, Retention being allowed is five pound, eighteen shillings, nine pence sterling, and the yearly Cess of the said twelve pennies, is four Pound sterling. 2do. They will have the Benefit of sharing in all the Trade of the Royal Burrows, and of the Management and Correspondence of the Managers, and thereby all Mistakes betwixt the Royal Burrows, & the other Burghs will be taken away entirely, & the Nobility and Gentry will be highly pleased with the Proposal, and make it their Business to carry on a National Trade, by this and other Proposals that shall please the Parliament.  
The said Burrows in their several Districts, will be necessitat to take the Poor under their Care, and provide for them both Work and maintenance in such Terms, and upon such Conditions as shall be appointed by the Convention, and authorised by the Kings Council and Ratified in Parliament, when the samen shall meet, it will not consist with their Charity as Christians, or interest to suffer the Poor to starve, or to be carried away by Strangers, since hands where there are Lands and Seas, and Subject of Trade, are necessary Instruments of Trade and Manufacturies, and of the Wealth of the Nation.